Security Newswire

Former N.B.A. Security Employee Says Sexual Harassment Concerns Were Ignored

A former N.B.A. security official says that he repeatedly warned his superiors that women in the office were being sexually harassed or discriminated against, but that his concerns were ignored and that he was ultimately fired for his actions on the women’s behalf. He is suing the league for lost wages and damages.

Warren Glover was fired as a security director in July, after 10 years with the N.B.A., says a New York Times report, despite a glowing performance record for most of his tenure. Glover has filed a lawsuit that accuses senior N.B.A. security officials of creating a “hostile work environment” in which he was “demeaned,” “treated differently from other employees” and denied promotions because of his willingness to speak out.

In one instance, says the report, "Glover said a senior security official made sexual advances toward a female colleague, then demeaned her publicly when she rejected his advances. In another, a different security official proposed using sexually inappropriate material as part of a presentation to N.B.A. players."

The suit says that Glover at least once expressed his alarm — both about the treatment of women and his fear of retaliation — to Joel Litvin, the N.B.A.’s president for league operations.

In addition to the N.B.A., Glover is suing Bernard Tolbert, the league’s former senior vice president for security; James Cawley, who succeeded Tolbert last year; and Gregory Robinson, the senior director of security, who was Glover’s immediate supervisor.

“Mr. Glover’s allegations are without merit, and we will vigorously defend against them,” Mike Bass, a league spokesman, said in the report.

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